July 31, 2013

Hungry by Darlene Barnes is the type
of honest memoir that is truly an enjoyable read. She shares not just the story
of her experiences as a cook at a fraternity house, but also about herself, and
how she was able to truly become herself through this experience.

Book
Description

“Newly arrived in Seattle, Darlene Barnes
stumbles on a job ad for a cook at the Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity on the
University of Washington campus, a prospect most serious food professionals
would automatically reject. But Barnes envisions something other than kegs and
corn dogs; she sees an opportunity to bring fresh, real food to an audience
accustomed to "Asian Surprise" and other unidentifiable casseroles
dropped off by a catering service. And she also sees a chance to reinvent
herself, by turning a maligned job into meaningful work of her own creation:
"I was the new girl and didn't know or care about the rules."

Naively
expecting a universally appreciative audience, Barnes finds a more
exasperatingly challenging environment: The kitchen is nasty, the basement is
scary, and the customers are not always cooperative. Undaunted, she gives as
good as she gets with these foul-mouthed and irreverent--but also funny and
sensitive--guys. Her passion for real food and her sharp tongue make her
kitchen a magnet for the brothers, new recruits, and sorority girls tired of
frozen dinners.

Laugh-out-loud
funny and poignant,Hungry offers a female perspective on the
real lives of young men, tells a tale of a woman's determined struggle to find
purpose, and explores the many ways that food feeds us.” – Hungry

My Thoughts

Hungry
is a book that I honestly enjoyed more than I thought I would going into it.
The author writes with such a passion and very real account of her experiences,
that it feels like she is sharing her life story with you over a cup of coffee.
I laughed, I cried, and I am inspired by her story. She gets the meaning that
jobs and people you meet along the way aren’t just random people or acquaintances,
but become an extended family to you, even many years after you have seen them.

If you have ever felt like the career you are in is
not for you, but are afraid to take a leap of faith and try to pursue your real
passion in life, this is the book you need to read for inspiration. I highly
recommend it.

* Thank you
to the publisher of Hungry, Hyperion, for
providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my
own.

There Is No God And He Is Always With You
by Brad Warner is a book about Warner’s perspective on God. Read it with an
open mind, and you may discover that some of his theories and beliefs on the
topic are similar to your own, or change your perspective a little bit to go
with his.

Book
Description

“Can you be an atheist and
still believe in God?
Can you be a true believer and still doubt?
Can Zen give us a way past our constant fighting about God?

Brad Warner was initially interested in Buddhism
because he wanted to find God, but Buddhism is usually thought of as godless.
In the three decades since Warner began studying Zen, he has grappled with
paradoxical questions about God and managed to come up with some answers. In
this fascinating search for a way beyond the usual arguments between
fundamentalists and skeptics, Warner offers a profoundly engaging and
idiosyncratic take on the ineffable power of the “ground of all being.”– There
Is No God And He Is Always With You

My Thoughts

There Is No
God And He Is Always With You is an interesting discussion of the author’s
theory of God, religion, and our connection with it all. If you enjoy reading
about someone’s theoretical view of spirituality and religion, this is a book
you would most likely enjoy reading and discussing with others. However, if you
are very set in your religion, this is probably not going to be a book for you.

I’ve been interested in the universe, God,
metaphysics, the supernatural, and everything in-between. As a spiritual person
who does very much believe in God, but finds it hard to just blindly believe in
something, I could relate to a lot of the topics and questions covered in this
book. I’m not saying that I agreed with them all. This is a book that does
focus on religion, spirituality, and of course, God. So, what I say about how I
feel about it shouldn’t matter to you. Spirituality is a personal thing, and I
wouldn’t try to sway someone one way or another. That being said, I did
personally enjoy reading this book, and I think if you are interested in any of
the topics mentioned above, you will too.

* Thank you
to the publisher of There Is No God And He Is Always With You, New World Library, for providing me
with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

July 28, 2013

The White Princess by Philippa
Gregory features Elizabeth of York in this “Cousins’ War” series of books by
the author. Filled with political intrigue, drama, and real historical facts,
this novel is one that fans of historical fiction should definitely check out!

Book
Description

“Philippa
Gregory, #1 New York Times best­selling author and “the queen of royal fiction”
(USA Today), presents the latest Cousins’ War novel, the remarkable story of
Elizabeth of York, daughter of the White Queen.

When Henry Tudor picks up the crown
of England from the mud of Bosworth field, he knows he must marry the princess
of the enemy house—Elizabeth of York—to unify a country divided by war for
nearly two decades.

But his bride is still in love with
his slain enemy, Richard III—and her mother and half of England dream of a
missing heir, sent into the unknown by the White Queen. While the new monarchy
can win power, it cannot win hearts in an England that plots for the triumphant
return of the House of York.

Henry’s greatest fear is that
somewhere a prince is waiting to invade and reclaim the throne. When a young
man who would be king leads his army and invades England, Elizabeth has to
choose between the new husband she is coming to love and the boy who claims to
be her beloved lost brother: the rose of York come home at last.” – The
White Princess

My Thoughts

The White
Princess is another fine addition the “Cousins’ War” series of books based
on the historical events of the royals in England during the late 1400s.
Philippa Gregory is one of the best authors of this time period that I have
read, and she does not disappoint with this novel.

This is the story of Elizabeth of York, the
daughter of the “White Queen” who is forced to marry Henry Tudor to end the civil
war that had been going on for almost two decades. She seems to be one of the pawns
in the story, and a bit clueless on how things work around her. However, she is
still an important person in the series who should not be forgotten.

Historical fact and fiction is weaved together to
make this story (and all of Gregory’s novels in the series) extremely interesting
and real page turners. You can really see the passion and love of this time
period when reading her novels, and that to me is a huge bonus to her works of
art. If history classes were this interesting, I’m sure people would have learned
more, and gotten better grades! I definitely recommend it.

* Thank you
to the publisher of The White Princess, Touchstone, for
providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my
own.

July 27, 2013

The Registry by Shannon Stoker is a debut
novel that shows a dystopian American society that sells pretty young women to
the highest bidder. Not all is as it seems, and for one young woman, we see
that getting out of the cycle is not as easy as it may seem.

Book
Description

“Welcome to a safe and secure new world, where beauty is
bought and sold, and freedom is the ultimate crime.

The Registry saved the country from
collapse, but stability has come at a price. In this patriotic new America,
girls are raised to be brides, sold at auction to the highest bidder. Boys are
raised to be soldiers, trained to fight and never question orders.

Nearly eighteen, beautiful Mia
Morrissey excitedly awaits the beginning of her auction year. But a warning
from her married older sister raises dangerous questions. Now, instead of going
up on the block, Mia is going to escape to Mexico—and the promise of freedom.

All Mia wants is to control her own
destiny—a brave and daring choice that will transform her into an enemy of the
state, pursued by powerful government agents, ruthless bounty hunters, and a
cunning man determined to own her . . . a man who will stop at nothing to get
her back.” – The
Registry

My Thoughts

The Registry
is a fictional novel that has a very intriguing story that shows how the world
could be, and thankfully isn’t – at least not yet. As a woman, I would never
want to be bought and sold, or have my freedom taken away from me. The main
character, Mia, also doesn’t want to see her future like this, and so she wants
to escape to Mexico.

This is the author’s debut novel, so I’m not going
to be too harsh on the writing style. It wasn’t my favorite; she could have
left more things open, and not so bland and overtly obvious for the reader to
understand. However, I did enjoy the story and think that this writer has big
potential on future novels, which I would definitely like to read to see her
progression.

Overall, this is just an “okay” book. It isn’t one
that I would want to read again, and not one that made me want to stay up all
night to finish. If you like the idea of the story, try it out, you may enjoy
it.

* Thank you
to the publisher of The Registry, William
Morrow, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions
expressed are my own.

July 24, 2013

Equal of the Sun by Anita
Amirrezvani is a historical novel based on real people from history. Set in
Iran in 1576, political power struggles play out, and history, is literally
made.

Book
Description

“Iran in 1576 is a place of wealth and dazzling beauty. But
when the Shah dies without having named an heir, the court is thrown into
tumult. Princess Pari, the Shah’s daughter and protégée, knows more about the
inner workings of the state than almost anyone, but her maneuvers to instill
order after her father’s sudden death incite resentment and dissent. Pari and
her closest adviser, Javaher, a eunuch able to navigate the harem as well as
the world beyond the palace walls, possess an incredible tapestry of secrets
that explode in a power struggle of epic proportions.

Legendary women—from Anne Boleyn to Queen
Elizabeth I to Mary, Queen of Scots—changed the course of history in the royal
courts of England. While they are celebrated, few people know of the powerful
and charismatic women in the Muslim world. Based loosely on the life of
Princess Pari Khan Khanoom,Equal of the Sunis a riveting story of political intrigue that
brings one extraordinary woman to light. Anita Amirrezvani is a master
storyteller, and her lustrous prose breathes life into this rich and labyrinthine
world with a stunning cast of characters—passionate and brave men and women who
defy or embrace their destiny in a Machiavellian game played by those who lust
for power and will do anything to attain it.”
– Equal
of the Sun

My Thoughts

Equal of the
Sun is a brilliantly written political novel set in Iran in 1576. It is
based loosely on real people in history, during a period of time many of us
know very little about.

What I enjoy about Princess Pari is that she isn’t
perfect, but she does have the qualities to make her a good leader, if given
the chance. She is confident, ambitious, and knows more than she lets on. I
liked reading about this character, and am glad that I know about her as a real
person from history thanks to having read this book.

This book is filled with a lot of political intrigue,
which I quite liked. I am a fan of such series as “A Game of Thrones” as well,
so if you also enjoy books with great characters and political struggles, I
think you’ll enjoy this book, too. I definitely recommend it.

* Thank you
to the publisher of Equal of the Sun, Scribner,
for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed
are my own.

July 14, 2013

Workouts shouldn’t be boring. They should make you
motivated and want to do it again. If you are looking for a fun workout that
feels more like playtime, check out the Hoopnotica hula hoop.

Hoopnotica Dance

“When
was the last time you laughed on a treadmill? Turn up the fun on your
workout with one of the hottest new ways to burn fat, build muscle, and improve
balance and coordination.

HoopnoticaDance provides a low-impact, fat-blasting cardio experience
that will leave you feeling strong, inspired, and incredibly sexy. Build your
best body and engaage your mind with HoopnoticaDance which pairs elements of
belly dance, hip hop, and rhythmic movement with the resistance training only a
hula hoop can provide!

Hula Hooping is a really fun workout. As a kid, I
would listen to music in the garage and hula hoop for hours. I never considered
it exercise. It was fun. As an adult, I do admit, I do not exercise as much as
I should. I find treadmills to be boring hamster wheels, and don’t even get me
started with crazy looking workout equipment that should really just be called
torture devices.

When I saw that hula hooping could be considered a
workout, a light bulb went off in my head. I instantly remembered being the
hula hoop champion in my subdivision, and thought that this would be a fun
workout that I could do. To be fair, I haven’t picked up a hula hoop for
probably over 15 years, but I thought it would be just like riding a bike – you
don’t forget, right?

Well, it isn’t quite as easy as remembering how to
ride a bike. Bodies change with age, if you know what I mean. However, it can
be done, even if you aren’t as skinny as you were as a kid.

I was really excited to try out the Hoopnotica
hoop when I got it, so I put it together and tested it out. I tried out the Total
Knockout Starter Kit, which is really a great kit for beginners to start
out with. It didn’t stay up for long at first, but I kept trying. Eventually,
with the help of the DVD, I was able to re-learn how to hula hoop and keep it up
to effectively workout with.

The hula hoop itself is pretty, and lightweight
without being too light. It has an extra weight to it which helps it to stay
up, but it doesn’t hurt you when you are using it either. The tape on it looks
good, but more importantly, it is functional. It helps the user keep the hoop
up, too.

Not only is hula hooping fun, it is also a great
workout! Just doing a basic hula hoop stance can burn some serious calories per
hour – about 400! The Hoopnotica DVDs show you how to hula hoop with some
flair, which will also make this workout fun, and never like a boring hamster
wheel.

I used the Hoopnotica hula hoop for 15-45 minutes
per day for 2 weeks, and I lost 2-3 lbs. I didn’t change my diet in any way; I
just added this in to my routine. Not everyone will have these results, so I
can’t guarantee it will work for you. I would however, place my bets on this
being one of the most fun workouts you have had.

So, get off your hamster wheel, and start
exercising the fun way with Hoopnotica! I highly recommend it.

* Thank you
to the amazing people at Hoopnotica.com for
providing me with the total knockout starter kit for review. All opinions
expressed are my own.

Ads

Disclosure

Periodically I review products or services of interest to me and my readers. I write reviews on products I paid for and products that were given to me for free. I do not accept payment for positive reviews. Each review is honest and my own opinion.

If you would like me to review your product and/or do a giveaway with my readers, let me know!

I do accept advertising and sponsorship requests for things of interest to me. For more info, leave a comment on one of my posts to contact me.